NY Export: Opus Jazz
Directed by Jody Lee Lipes & Henry Joost, A FACTORY 25 RELEASE
AUDIENCE AWARD
SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST
2010
SARASOTA FILM FESTIVAL
2010, 60 min, NTSC, Zone 0
In 1958, Jerome Robbins’ “ballet in sneakers,” NY Export: Opus Jazz, became a smash hit when it was broadcast on The Ed Sullivan Show and toured around the world. Set to an evocative jazz score by Robert Prince, the dance told the story of disaffected urban youth through movement that blended ballet, jazz and ballroom dancing. Now, the work comes full circle in this vibrant scripted film adaptation, the first film to return Jerome Robbins' choreography to the city that inspired it since the movie version of West Side Story. Shot on location on New York City and featuring an ensemble cast of New York City Ballet dancers, NY Export: Opus Jazz re-imagines the original ballet for a whole new generation.
Press
EmroDancers, dance enthusiasts, and general audiences alike will find much to enjoy in this film. Highly recommended.
Video LibrarianBroadcast many years ago on The Ed Sullivan Show, the original ballet was a sensation. A half-century later, NY Export: Opus Jazz offers a fine update. Recommended.
The Los Angeles TimesInnovative
The Hollywood ReporterA note-perfect adaptation